Cruz wins citizenship case in Pennsylvania Supreme Court

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has won a case in Pennsylvania's highest court that had challenged his eligibility to appear on the state's GOP primary ballot and serve as president.

The state Supreme Court order Thursday upheld a lower-court judge's decision to dismiss the case.

A Pittsburgh resident and registered Republican voter, Carmon Elliott, had argued that Cruz isn't eligible to run for president or to appear on Pennsylvania's April 26 primary ballot because he was born in Canada.

Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini ruled March 11 that common law precedent and statutory history maintain that an eligible candidate includes any person born to an American citizen, regardless of where.

Elliott had acknowledged that Cruz's mother was born in the United States and has been a U.S. citizen her whole life.